1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of computer user interfaces, and to a pocket user interface (PIU) device which is adapted to accommodate and/or interface with a smart diskette. The present invention also relates to an element for insertion into a diskette drive, which may receive a processor and/or memory card therein.
2. Background Information
A smart diskette is a device having the external shape of, for example, a standard 31/2" diskette, and which contains therein, instead of and/or in addition to a magnetic medium, interface and processing circuitry for providing particular functionality to the device.
The smart diskette circuitry includes an interface for transferring data between other components on the device and a magnetic head of a standard disk drive. In various forms, the smart-diskette device also includes a microprocessor for controlling the device and performing various tasks, such as data encryption, and memory, in the form of RAM (random access memory), ROM (read only memory), EEPROM (electronically erasable/programmable read only memory), and/or Flash memory devices, for storing programs and data.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,182, and copending application Ser. No. 08/420,796 (Atty Docket No. LWBR 0006C1), disclose a smart-diskette insertable element with magnetic interface, processor, power supply and optional display and keypad to be inserted into a standard 31/2" floppy disk drive, for example, of a host computer, i.e., electronic data processing (EDP) equipment, such as a desk-top personal computer (PC) or notebook computer.
An exemplary embodiment of the smart-diskette insertable element disclosed in the above-mentioned patent and application, has a processor with a built-in memory and an interface designed in such a way that it is possible to exchange data between the element's processor and the EDP equipment's disk drive read/write head. A driver converts signals coming from the element's processor into the required magnetic form at the interface, and converts signals coming from the external EDP equipment through the interface into the required form for the processor.
A significant advantage of this smart diskette insertable element is that, by virtue of its insertability into a standard disk drive and interfaceability therewith, it is possible to carry-out operations with the element's processor, such as encryption and decryption of data or verification of user identity, without requiring a special interface or plug-in board which might be suitable only for a particular computer system.
Another advantageous feature of the smart diskette insertable element is its ability to store additional data and/or programs in on-board memory connected with the element's processor. This considerably increases the potential areas of application for the element.
The smart diskette element disclosed in the above patent and application, may also be equipped with a battery power source supplying power to other electronic components within the element.
The interface of the smart diskette insertable element is designed to allow data to be relayed through it, between the element's processor and the read/write head of the disk drive. One way of achieving this is to place an electromagnetic component, e.g., one or more coils, in the vicinity of the interface which is able to generate magnetic field information equivalent to that generated by the magnetic disk of a standard, e.g., floppy, diskette. In this way the interface is therefore able to simulate the magnetic disk. This property of the interface allows data to be transferred from the element's processor to the EDP-equipment, e.g., data which enables user identification to be verified, thereby providing security to the EDP equipment. The interface is receives signals coming from the EDP-equipment via the disk drive write head and passes these on to the element's processor. This exchange of data makes a variety of operations possible, as would be recognized by one skilled in the art.
The smart-diskette disclosed in the above patent and application may also be provided with an alpha-numerical display and/or keypad. The keypad and/or display may be in the form of a separate module attached physically and electrically to the smart diskette element so that it is visible even when the smart-diskette is inserted in the disk drive of a computer terminal.
As processor capabilities expand and memory devices with increasing capacity become smaller, the smart diskette takes on the potential for more and more useful applications.
Related U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,038 discloses a read/write unit with a read/write head and optional electrical contacts, but without the standard disk driving and head moving parts, for use in a desk-top PC or notebook computer to communicate with a smart diskette. By eliminating the drive motor and moving read/write heads, energy otherwise expended by the use of such moving parts is avoided.
Further, such a read/write unit, since it eliminates bulky drive and head motors, can be made more compact than a standard disk drive, thereby reducing the overall size requirements for the computer in which it is installed.
Such a read/write unit in conjunction with a smart diskette operating as a security device can also provide protection from unauthorized use of the computer in which it is installed. Protection against access to the computer, and consequently, any network to which it is attached, is achieved with the aid of the smart diskette which contains corresponding authorization codes and the like, but which can also be used with standard commercially available, e.g., 31/2" drives.
Since a normal diskette cannot operate with the read/write unit, an unauthorized user cannot exchange data with the read/write unit. The optional electrical contacts can be used to power the smart diskette components from the computer device in which the read/write unit is installed, and/or to provide another path for data exchange.
Possible applications and advantages of such a read/write unit include providing convenient add-on memory without the need of a special interface, such as PCMCIA. In this regard, the read/write unit operates with a smart diskette having on-board memory of several megabytes, for example.
The read/write unit is particularly useful with notebook and notepad type computers, where energy conservation and weight are very important, since the read/write unit does not have bulky energy consuming moving parts.
This read/write unit can be used with conventional EDP devices as well, e.g., desk-top personal computers, to provide additional security, functioning as a 31/2" drive which can be used only with smart diskettes, and not with conventional diskettes.
Simple data exchanges between conventional 31/2" drives and notebooks/notepads equipped with the energy conserving read/write unit are facilitated using smart diskettes. In addition, higher data flow rates than with conventional floppy drive units, e.g., up to several Mbit/sec, are achievable with this read/write unit.
Pocket calculators and diary devices are known and gaining acceptance with busy executives, for example. However, such devices have numerous limitations and disadvantages. For example, although such devices can interface with a desk-top computer to download application programs and/or data, for example, or to upload data entered on the pocket device to the desk-top computer, to do so currently requires inconvenient cabling, and/or a special interface unit, e.g., PCMCIA, with associated costs.
In addition, such pocket devices are generally limited to a single special application, such as a phone directory, or a golf-handicap calculator, and do not provide the range of capabilities of a notebook computer, for example. Although some pocket devices are "programmable," this is often achieved only through the insertion and removal of a limited set of specially made ROM integrated circuit modules available from the manufacturer of the pocket device.
Pocket-sized pagers and cellular telephones are also known. However, these respective devices do not generally have the capability of functioning as anything except a pager or telephone, that is, they are generally devices which are dedicated to a single function.
Therefore, the fully-equipped, fully-functional executive may be burdened by having to carry around a variety of separate devices, which further disadvantageously cannot readily interface with one another.
From the earlier German patent registration P39 03 454 A1 a component (Smartdiskette) is known which can be inserted into an EDP (electronic data processing) installation. This component is designed as a diskette and equipped with a special interface. The interface is designed in such a manner that a data transfer can be performed between a processor located in the diskette and the EDP installation via the already existing read/write device. The particular advantages affiliated with this feature are based on the fact that data can be transferred between the processor of the diskette and the EDP installation without any additional interfaces being required. One characteristic of the interface section, the converter, is known from the German Patent registration P40 36 336.83-53.